The present invention is related to conditions of the jaw, and more specifically to a system and method for diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint conditions.
Temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ) is a term that is generally associated with diseases and/or conditions within the teeth, jaw bone, and related musculature which result in a variety of symptoms. These symptoms range from mild to severe, and include headaches, facial pain, as well as pain and cracking in the jaw. More severe symptoms may include seizures, memory loss, abnormal thyroid activity, rashes, sleep disturbances, and nausea. For a given case, any one of these symptoms may be experienced either alone or as a combination of symptoms. Moreover, these symptoms may be indicative of conditions other than TMJ. Consequently, proper diagnosis of TMJ is difficult.
The diagnosis of TMJ is further complicated by the fact that there is a lack of scientific inquiry into the etiologic or underlying cause of TMJ. Etiologic causes, which may occur alone or in combination, are thought to include trauma, disease, genetics, oral habits, dental work, surgical procedures, malocclusion (e.g., over-bite and cross-bite), and stress. The lack of understanding as to the etiologic cause has contributed to the divergence in opinion within various professions as to how to treat TMJ. The lack of scientific inquiry into the causes of TMJ necessarily results in a dearth of scientific inquiry into the effectiveness of various treatment protocols.
For the individual suffering from the disruptive symptoms of TMJ, obtaining proper diagnosis and treatment is frequently not the end of the problems related to TMJ. Because of the nescient state of diagnosis and treatment of TMJ, many insurance programs are unwilling to cover the potentially extensive expenses required to diagnose and treat the disorder. Consequently, the individual may not have the independent financial wherewithal necessary for obtaining proper diagnosis and treatment.
It is desired to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ by providing a method and system for doing the same. Furthermore, it is desired to reduce the role and time of individuals in determining the potential for insurance coverage and for submitting the documentation required by various insurance programs.
An illustrative embodiment disclosed herein provides a method for assisting diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint disease. The steps of the method comprise recording physical symptoms experienced by a plurality of patients; conducting a plurality of medical examinations related to temporomandibular joint disease on each of the plurality of patients; creating a diagnostic criteria based on conditions known to be factors in diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disease; wherein the conditions are selected from the physical symptoms experienced by the plurality of patients and the results of the plurality of medical examinations of each of the plurality of patients; and determining which of the plurality of patients match the diagnostic criteria.
In other illustrative embodiments, the diagnostic criteria may be selected from at least one of a group comprising locations of pain, symptoms, medical examinations, and mitigating and aggravating circumstances; the medical examinations being selected from at least one of a group comprising a dental exam, an x-ray exam, a biometric exam and a muscle exam; the match of the diagnostic criteria being a complete match or a partial match; and the step of selecting treatment protocols for patients that completely match the diagnostic criteria and for patients that partially match the diagnostic criteria.
Another illustrative embodiment disclosed herein also provides a method of assisting in diagnosing a condition of a patient. This embodiment comprises the steps of providing a database configured to receive and sort data; conducting an examination of the patient; wherein the examination comprises a plurality of medical tests related to the condition; inputting results of the examination into the database; inputting symptoms of the condition being experienced by the patient into the database; and matching the results of the examination and the symptoms of the condition in the database with a diagnosis of the condition for determining a treatment protocol.
Other illustrative embodiments may comprise one or more steps of: inputting a treatment protocol and results of said treatment protocol; inputting successful treatment protocols of the condition; inputting patient and insurance information for payment and treatment authorization; inputting case histories from a plurality patients; and inputting symptoms from a plurality of patients.
Another illustrative embodiment disclosed herein also provides a system for assisting diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint disease. The system comprises a computerized database, a symptoms module, a medical examinations module, and a diagnostic module. The computerized database is configured to receive modules containing data. The symptoms module records and stores a plurality of symptom data experienced by a plurality of patients. The medical examinations module comprises data from a plurality of medical examinations related to temporomandibular joint disease on each of the plurality of patients. The diagnostic module is in communication with the symptoms and medical examinations modules such that the diagnostic module comprises a plurality of diagnostic criteria based on conditions known to be a factor in diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disease. An operator can then create a selected diagnostic criteria to establish a basis for diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disease. The diagnostic module searches the plurality of symptom data and the data from the plurality of medical examinations to find which of the plurality of patients match the selected diagnostic criteria.
Other illustrative embodiments may comprise the diagnostic criteria being selected from at least one of a group comprising locations of pain, symptoms, medical examinations, and mitigating and aggravating circumstances; the medical examinations being selected from at least one of a group comprising a dental exam, an x-ray exam, a biometric exam and a muscle exam; and the match of the selected diagnostic criteria being a complete match or a partial match.
Additional features and illustrative embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the embodiments as presently perceived.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the system and method, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the system and method in any manner.